


Home for Halloween

by sercotella



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Costumes, Dress Up, Everyone Is Gay, Halloween, House Party, M/M, Mentions of Kenny McCormick/Butters Stotch, Mentions of Token Black/Clyde Donovan, Mutual Pining, Party Games, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Returning Home, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Token and Clyde are Basically an Old Married Couple, don't fight me on that, i don't make the rules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sercotella/pseuds/sercotella
Summary: Halloween is coming up and some of the South Park boys, usually scattered around different universities, come home to reunite and chill at a Stick-of-Truth-themed party at Token's house. Stan doesn't expect Craig Tucker to show up, but as the night goes on, he finds himself drawn to the taller boy, unable to think of much else.
Relationships: Stan Marsh & Craig Tucker, Stan Marsh/Craig Tucker
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	Home for Halloween

Stan wasn’t enjoying the month of October very much so far – the days were becoming shorter rapidly, the temperatures dropped, and his winter jacket had ugly holes on the right sleeve where the piercing autumn wind chilled him to the bone. He found that the more sunlight he was able to get during the day, the happier he was, and unfortunately there wasn’t much direct sunlight available amidst the rain and clouds of Colorado.

As you can imagine, Stan wasn’t a very happy camper at the moment. Admittedly though, the bus he was currently sitting in was warm enough to stop his shivering. 

He wondered if he could perhaps get away with spending his winter break somewhere sunny and hot, like the Canaries? Kyle’s family seemed to have enjoyed their holidays in Gran Canaria last November and the photos portrayed packed beaches, good food and picturesque scenery. He was actually the one who recommended the holiday to them after coming across it in a travel magazine. Said magazines were often discarded freely around the waiting room of the veterinary clinic he did his work experience at.

His mother and sister were not at all surprised at his preferred choice of studies, helping him with the move to campus and somewhat-patiently listening to the growing list of interesting stories from the clinic. Stan enjoyed working with animals and felt accomplished when he was able to relieve the creatures of any pain or suffering, no matter how small or large. Cartman mocked him for this back when he announced his choice of studies, relentlessly of course, but a sharp shove into the nearby lamppost by Kyle gave him reason to be quiet.

“I’m sorry I can’t be there” Kyle has messaged him a few days before his bus ride home, “I have two presentations and three papers to submit by the end of this break on top of everything else, can you believe this bs?”

“Ye”, came Stan’s typed-out reply. He understood, but was slightly disappointed, as this left him back home alone with the modest group of Kenny and Butters, as well as Token and Clyde who were also en-route from college. A quiet ping brought his attention back to his phone once again.

Token! has sent you (1) message: “Heya dude, what’s up? Where are you?”

“Hey, omw home, nearing the bus stop, u?”

“I’m ages away still, Clyde’s sitting beside me and chews with his mouth open to annoy me”

“That sucks dude”

“Yeah he’s driving me crazy, I’m starting to think we should uninvite him from the Halloween get-together”

“Wait we're meetin up?”

A few minutes passed and Stan’s bus managed to arrive in South Park with a sharp halt. With his backpack slumped over his shoulder, he began his slow walk home when another message from Token appeared on his shattered phone screen.

“I’m so sorry dude, Clyde forgot to send the details to everyone. Halloween at my house, you can start heading over after 8, We’re all dressing up!”

“sweeeeeet, count me in”

“We’re trying to center it around the stick of truth, remember that game? Think you can bring your elven warrior shtick?”

“yeah but dude yall are gonna be humans, am I the only elf?”

“I won’t be the minority for once ;)”

Stan chuckled under his breath and pocketed the phone before crossing the traffic light over to the South Park housing estate. He had to admit that he was looking forward to kicking back and relaxing with his childhood friends. In a house party scenario, Kenny always chose the most ridiculous music to play on the speaker system, Clyde snuck the cans in, and Butters brought his Nintendo consoles for some friendly matches of Mario Kart. Although there was a theme in place this time around, Stan was sure it would only make things more entertaining. It was time to unwind, relax and make new memories with his old pals.

\---

By 8 p.m. on the 31st of October, the street lights of South Park’s residential areas were illuminating the streets with a weak orange hue, providing just enough visibility for a swarming crowd of trick-or-treaters. From side to side, all Stan could hear were the excited screams and giggles of glee, as well as the excited pushing of nearby doorbells. All this buzz reminded him of the stupid shenanigans he would get up to with Cartman, Kyle and Kenny during Halloween. A pang of nostalgia hit him because sure, their adventures were ridiculous for the most part, but it was these adventures that glued their little merry band of misfits together. 

After secondary school everyone went their separate ways, and although Stan made the effort to visit Kenny in South Park and Kyle in Denver City whenever he could, it just wasn’t the same as seeing the guys on a daily basis. It was also a bit empty without Cartman, who was definitely an ass even to this day, but having him studying in a prestigious university on the other side of the country caused an unusual, deafening silence that no one could replace. Kenny strongly suspected that his mother’s “connections” with the lecturers’ board definitely influenced Cartman’s application to the university, but Stan couldn’t be bothered to look into it further.

And right now, walking through the icy sidewalk of his old neighbourhood, Stan was forced to put the thoughts of Cartman aside as the familiar lanky figure of another old classmate appeared in the distance ahead of him. He couldn’t quite recognise him at first, with the thick, brown poncho hanging over his shoulders, but the familiar blue shade of a chullo hat poking from underneath his hood completely gave him away.

It’s as if Craig sensed that he was being watched, because his slender face turned to Stan’s direction and a knowing grin appeared on his face once the realisation of exactly who was watching him hit. Stan huffed but walked forward with an impending sense of dread anyway – there was only one way to Token’s house, after all.

“Well look what the cat dragged in.”

“Hi, Craig.”

“No, seriously, you look as if a cat chewed you up. What on earth are you wearing?”

“Shut up, man, I dug these out from the attic.”

It wasn’t a lie – Stan was happy to dress up for a Halloween house party, but he wasn’t prepared for the last-minute Stick of Truth theme that Token mentioned earlier. His childhood costume obviously didn’t fit him anymore, which left him scurrying through his family’s old winter clothes for inspiration. Shelly scoffed at the theme and mocked him shamelessly, of course (“You’re gonna look like such a fucking douchebag”, “You kiss your girlfriend with that mouth, Shelly?”, “I do, and she likes it. Now move over from that sewing machine because you’ll definitely fucking break it, just give me the clothes and I’ll patch them for you.”).

After some unexpected help from Shelly, the siblings managed to create a somehow-wearable outfit, accompanied with a cape made from a grey bed-sheet and a brown vest from their dad’s old fleece jumper. Even with a long-sleeved dark shirt under the vest, Stan wasn’t quite warm enough to go outside, and on top of that, was also saddened by the fact that he didn’t have his signature blue helmet around. Well, his navy beanie would have to do.

He would have put more effort into his looks if he knew that Craig would show up – now the incessant judgement would flow of Tucker’s lips like it always has, he just knew it. Here we go-- 

“Fair enough, I just hope you won’t freeze on the way to Token’s. I don’t want to take this coat off but if you turn a slight shade bluer, I’ll have to pull a gentleman move and help you out, put my coat over you and shit.”

Stan sputtered in surprise, causing Craig to let out a sincere, deep laugh and pat him on the shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t get this flustered man, I promise I washed the coat beforehand.”

Heading towards Token’s house, a wave of unexpected, gentle relief washed over Stan when the conversation took a friendlier turn and Craig seemed to be genuinely interested in how he’s been doing. In truth, he actually expected the taller boy to huff at him and insist to walk separately, keeping up their old routine of disliking one another. He gave Craig a small synopsis of his veterinary studies, work experience and football practice, and was surprised to see that Craig seemed to be actively listening.

It was only when the two young men arrived at their destination and settled into the living room for pre-drink snacks that Stan approached an already-tipsy Clyde by the corner, evidently busy emptying family packs of Doritos into a large sharing bowl that he would undoubtedly hog for himself all night long anyway. Clyde insisted on prolonged, tight hugs at their arrival, loudly exclaiming all sorts of excited greetings (more so to Craig, who was squeezed to a point of almost asphyxiation a few minutes prior) and surprisingly kindly offering a few chips to Stan before lathering them all in salsa dip. 

“Dude, I’m glad to see you too, how have you been?”

“Oh dude, I’m starvin’ right about now. Nothing tastes better than home-grown Doritos.”

“Wha… You know what, nevermind, I’m happy for ya. Actually, I wanted to ask…” Stan snaked his arm around the red varsity jacket’s shoulders and muttered the last part once Craig cleared out of sight. “Were you guys gonna tell me Craig was invited too?”

Clyde looked up from the bowl with genuine confusion, a soggy red chip poking from the corner of his mouth. “Uh, I thought you knew that though? Craig didn’t move out from South Park so of course he’d be here dude. Are you guys still bickering or somethin’? Geez.”

Stan took a step back, flustered. He wouldn’t say he and Craig were “bickering” and now felt stupid for even bringing the topic up. Perhaps he should just let bygones be bygones and give Craig another chance. People can change after all, right? It’s been ages since they were in school, and besides, Craig himself has been nothing but decent to him so far.

“Here man, have another Dorito, these little triangles are talismans of magic for the soul… and FYI, Craig is saving up for a diploma right now so he’s sticking around for a while longer. Try and ask him about it, he can turn into a real chatterbox about particles and moles and shit.”

“Huh… you don’t say?”

Clyde washed the chips down with a healthy swig of apple cider, burping loudly, “I know right? You could barely get a few words out of him back in school but I’m actually glad he’s feeling a bit better nowadays. He’s still a sarcastic dickhead, but slightly more chill.”

\---

Smoking was one of the bad habits that Stan narrowly managed to avoid during his teenage years, instead drowning most of his sorrows in cheap supermarket wine - Kenny on the other hand had been hooked on mint cigarettes for years now, still to this day claiming that the mind flavour improves smoker breath, which of course it absolutely did not. Stan was delighted to see his childhood friend, currently covered from top to bottom with princess attire, and sitting outside on Token’s front porch with the clear night sky above them made him very nostalgic for the good old days again.

“Man, I gotta say I really missed you.” Stan piped up from his can of non-alcoholic Radler.

“You say that as if you’re surprised you missed me.” Kenny laughed, stubbing the cigarette butt out with the heel of his two-inch pink heels, no doubt borrowed from Karen… unless? “But I missed you too, it’s good to see you’re keeping well. The outfit’s not too bad either.”

“It doesn’t really compare to yours now does it? You obviously put a lot of effort into this.”

“Duh, I love Halloween. It, well… Reminds me of when we were all together, you know, the four of us.”

“Yeah…” Stan trailed off, looking down into his half-empty can, not really knowing what to say. A part of him felt guilty for having left Kenny behind – it wasn’t a surprise to anyone that Kenny couldn’t afford to move out and study, so while Stan packed his bags to Colorado Springs, his friend rushed into the nearest available working field to support his family. It upset him to no end that he couldn’t find a way to help Kenny in that moment.

“H-How’s the job at Skeeter’s treating you?” Stan asked hesitantly.

“Ah you know, I’ve good and bad days, Clientele is mostly the same, there’s a cute girl working at the dishwashers… Oh, and at least I know how to make a mean sex on the beach now. I mean…” At the double entendre, Kenny’s filled-in blond eyebrow rose just like it always did if a perverted thought crossed the lad’s mind. “Skeeter always pays on time and stands up for the staff if someone’s getting out of control. Dad has also stopped popping around as much. I think he doesn’t want me to see him drink… I’m glad I’m deterring him away from there if that is the case.”

“Mhm.”

“Are you okay dude? You’ve been kind of spacing out throughout the night.” Stan looked up from his lukewarm drink at the question, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“Yeah, it’s just… Sorry, I am listening. I just wasn’t expecting Craig to be here tonight and it’s kind of tripping me out. He’s too… nice.”

“That’s your problem with him? Really?”

“I know, it’s stupid. I didn’t even know he was still in South Park, wasn’t he supposed to study astrophysics or something down on the west coast?” 

“Yeah, but dreams can be cut short if the cash is missing, man. It’s not really my place to comment on Craig’s family though. He goes to a community college a few miles away from here and pops in to Skeeter’s for a drink from time to time. I think when everyone from school cleared out, it’s like a weight lifted off of him. He’s a bit more comfortable being out and about, doesn’t feel like anyone is out to get him, you know?”

“Was anyone out to get him back in school though?”

“Well no, but you know what I mean. In school you can’t be yourself, not really, because people might think less of you or judge you. When they all clear out, you don’t have to keep to yourself anymore. You finally get some air to breathe.”

“Seems like you know him well.” 

Kenny chuckled at that, “I guess you could say that. Sometimes he pops around while I’m working and can crack a good joke here and there. He’s actually pretty decent to hang around with, Stan, you should give him a chance.”

Stan huffed. It only made sense that Kenny and Craig spent time together since they were the only ones that stuck around in South Park after their high school graduation, apart from Butters. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel slightly envious at the idea of his friend getting along with someone else like this. He sighed. Maybe he really should let go of everything that happened years ago – it was true that the South Park from his memories was not the same South Park of today. The thought lingered at the back of his mind as he followed Princess Kenny indoors, the white cheesecloth cape flopping in the wind.

\---

Before Stan knew it, Clyde’s stack of chilled beer began to diminish, and the music boomed louder through the speakers. The fireplace was blazing with stacks of reddened wood in the living room, warming up the surrounding area to everyone’s enjoyment. Stan was sprawled out on one of the couches comfortably with eyes half-shut, occasionally glancing down to an intense game of Monopoly being played on the coffee table to his right. Clyde’s bad luck seemed to be catching up to him as usual, his miniature dog figurine stuck in jail for the second turn in a row as Craig’s stack of cash seemed to grow, neatly organised right beside all the train properties he owned. 

“Just admit that you suck and I might exceptionally let you get out of jail one turn earlier.” Craig smirked at his good friend’s huffed expression. 

“You always do this, man, you always go after me and steal my cash!”

“That’s what you get for pouring that shit all over perfectly fine Doritos. They’re inedible now.”

Stan couldn’t help but grin at that, his gaze trailing further down the room. Butters evidently made an effort to get dressed in his hand-sewn Paladin outfit, an impressive array of blues, yellows and turquoise. A rusty hammer hung from his belt and Stan could take a gander that it was the same old thing he used to whack the Drow Elves with back in the day. He and Kenny occupied the long couch in the living room to his left, heads bent towards one another with hastened whispers. Kenny murmured something Stan couldn’t quite catch, and Butters’ cheeks flushed a generous shade of red, his gaze shifting shyly but a small smile dancing on the corners of his lips nonetheless. 

“You falling asleep over here, man?” Stan sat up once Token arrived at his side, signalling to follow him into the kitchen where an oven full of snacks was waiting to be unpacked. Getting his oven gloves on, Stan began to carefully unload trays of food onto the kitchen counter as Token busied himself with plating and decorating.

“I don’t know why you bother with stacking it and shit, you know Clyde will dig right through that in an instant.” Stan laughed.

“For the aesthetics, Stanley, those are important… And also because Butters really likes neatly-arranged plates.” Token smiled, “And he deserves some small joys in life.”

Stan grew quiet, only nodding at the sound of that. It was obvious to anyone who cared to look that Butters’ parents were still as awful as ever, to the point where they’d refuse to send him to a college in Springfield he qualified for because Missouri was apparently much too far for them. Though it genuinely made Stan very upset, Butters insisted that he wanted to stay around South Park anyway. That was probably a lie… But it was good to see him smiling tonight, at least. Once all trays were out, Stan began arranging a plate of stacked hush puppies himself, to Token’s visible approval.

“You’ve been staring.” Token spoke after a while.

“What?” 

“At Craig. What’s the story, hm? Something going on between you two again?”

Stan stuttered for a moment, seeing Token’s thick eyebrow rise in further interest. Sure, it was true that he let his gaze hover over Tucker for longer than necessary here and there, but it was only because he hasn’t seen the taller boy for so long, it was hard to adjust to the changes in him. He’s outgrown everyone by this point, his legs long but sturdy, his shoulders losing their adolescent slouch, a sprinkle of moles covering his forearms, his face cleared of teenage acne and covered in a very slight stubble instead. His nose was still the prominent feature of his face, long but slender, and his almond-shaped green eyes were partly hooded by a strand of black hair that stuck out from the front of his chullo hat. It was certainly… a sight to behold.

“Hello, Earth to Marsh?”

“Sorry.” Stan fumbled, looking around the kitchen to find that Token’s already laid out the remaining samosas and spring rolls, leaving the boys only with the final task of bringing the food out, “Uh, no, nothing’s happening between us. It’s cool… It’s just different to see him, well…”

“Nicer than usual?” Token offered, finishing the uncertain sentence, “Yeah, I get it. But I’m happy to see him happy, dude, it’s a rare sight and hopefully it lasts. Clyde in particular seems to be delighted, and a happy Clyde means no complaining and sulking so I can avoid a headache.”

“Yeah…” Stan trailed off, obviously not sure if he should also mention that both Craig’s appearance and approach made him feel something he hasn’t felt in quite a good while. He figured he’d feel that way even if Craig was an asshole to him all night anyway, but the lack of antagonism only furthered his … yeah, he could admit it to himself, his evident attraction to Tucker. And yes, Craig was gay, but it didn’t necessarily mean that he’d have even the slightest interest in him. 

Because what could Stan really offer anyone? Alcohol dependency at the age of twenty one, insomnia, the inability to focus and impostor syndrome to boot. He shot Token a small smile, a smile that was meant to say that he’s okay, and brought the plate of hush puppies out to the living room before Token could ask any further questions as Butters’ gasps of joy reached their ears at the sight.

\---

One of the great things about Token’s house was the fact that he also had a giant garden to go with it, and now more than ever it was being put to good use, as the level 14 Warrior Clyde was about to pummel Princess Kenny’s shoulder. Butters and Token booed each time Clyde managed to get a hit, claiming that a true and noble warrior would not batter a maiden like this, but all it took was a memory of Nazi Zombie Princess Kenny for Stan to remember that the fair maiden in question was tougher than she looks.

As Princess Kenny slammed the frame of her bow over Clyde’s head in rebuttal, Craig’s tall figure reappeared beside Stan. With a whispered exchange of “hey”s, Craig sat down beside the elven fighter on one of the outdoor benches Token’s parents left out for them, taking off his chullo to ruffle his hair in the chilled night breeze. Stan’s head was angled towards the battle ahead of them but snuck a prolonged glance at the thief beside him out of the corner of his eye. Craig’s hair was dark, thick and unruly – it looked rough to the touch somehow and Stan took a moment to wonder how it’d feel between his fingers. 

Stan’s eyes snapped back to the fight in front of him, reprimanding himself for thinking about Craig Tucker like this. 

“You alright, Marsh? You’ve been looking a bit odd all night.” Craig asked, tilting his head towards Stan in gentle curiosity. His voice was quiet, trying not to disturb the absolute hammering that level 14 Warrior Clyde was currently getting.

“Y-Yeah, I’m alright. Happy to be back, for a little while at least.” 

Craig hummed and stretched his arms over his head, looking up at the starry sky above. Although some grey clouds moved in to cover the view, Craig was still able to see the North Star, jutting out of the Little Dipper. It was the star that always pointed his way forward whenever he needed it, and this time it was hovering right above him.

“Yeah, me too. It’s good to see everybody.”

Stan smirked and turned to Craig fully, “Even me?”

The dark piercing Tucker eyes landed on Stan with such a sudden intensity that almost made him jump out of his seat, causing him to fumble, “Since, you know, we never properly got along in school and stuff.”

Craig hesitated and sighed, looking back to the centre of the garden where Paladin Butters was now in the process of putting a band-aid over Clyde’s knee, where Princess Kenny’s bow happened to brush past too roughly. Said Princess was now sitting beside the Warrior, trying to conceal the bubbling laughter as she patted his shoulder and promised to let him win next time.

“Even you, Stan. It’s … nice, to chat to you again and just chill out. You’re pretty alright. I have to admit that I judged you too harshly back then.”

A small cheeky smile appeared on Stan’s face as he poked Craig’s side with his elbow in an attempt to tease him, “Are you saying you like me now? You might regret this, you know.”

Craig smiled in return, a small smile that showed the slight outline of a dimple on his right cheek. Stan’s stomach flipped at the sight, filling him up with a familiar sense of warmth he only felt when he was genuinely into someone, causing his own smile to widen further. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself man, I still think you and your gang of friends were pretty insufferable at times. And I still haven’t forgotten about the Peruvian band incident.”

Stan couldn’t help but laugh at the memory, causing the rest of his friends to look up at them curiously before returning to the slight scrap on Clyde’s knee, which was of course vastly exaggerated for the sheer drama of it. Token resorted to going back indoors with Kenny in tow, an intense game of Super Smash Bros waiting for them in the living room.

“Alright, alright, you got me there. How can I repay you then, dude? I can get you the hundred bucks … eventually. Or I can clean your car or do your chores or some shit.”

Craig’s full lips turned upwards into a smirk. “Come to the movies with me.”

“What?”

“The cinema in town is doing a re-run of shitty horror movies. Treat me to a shitty movie with some cheese nachos and you can consider your debt repaid.” 

Stan stared in slight disbelief at the taller young man sitting in front of him. Was he just asking him out on a date? The idea seemed incredulous, even with Craig’s newfound friendlier approach. Was he perhaps not seeing what Stan saw in front of the bathroom mirror every morning? Deep set, hollow blue eyes that lost their spark years ago, uneven black hair, scars on his chin from scratching his pubescent acne back in the day and ears that stuck out ever-so-slightly, but just enough to be very much noticeable – and these were just the traits that could be noticed immediately!

Yet here they were, sitting in such close proximity to each other, actually enjoying each other’s presence, and Craig’s smirk turned into a gentle smile that was so new and foreign for Stan to witness. It made him feel like maybe he wasn’t so bad, if Craig was looking down at him like this. Somehow, even in the darkness of the night, he could still feel a sense of warmth coming from this comforting smile. He knew that Craig wasn’t the kind of guy to prank or trick people, so he must have genuinely meant the invitation.

“W-when?” Stan fumbled for the nth time in a row. You only live once, right? And it’s not like it was a proper date anyway – they’d just sit together and chow down on some food. Talking to each other, catching up and getting to know each other… Alright, well, who knows what would happen. And yet, no matter what could happen, Stan was willing to give it a go.

And of course, he could finally repay Tucker for the debt he always liked to bring up, so he’d have nothing to complain about in the future.

“The re-runs are happening for the next two days still. Text me when you want to head out.”

“I-I don’t have your number.”

“Here, give me your phone.”

Craig’s long and slender fingers typed the number on Stan’s cracked iPhone screen before pressing the green button for a test call. When the line connected, Craig hung up the call and saved Stan’s own number in his contact list.

“What did you save me as?” Stan leaned in to look over Craig’s shoulder, not noticing that his hair was brushing right along Craig’s chin. Craig’s skin quickly covered in goose bumps, but he said nothing as he angled his screen to show Stan that his number was saved under “Cheese Nachos”. He laughed into the night at Stan’s active protests and attempts at grabbing the device out of those damned nice-looking large hands, while the North Star shone brightly above them.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So I kinda wrote this as a one-shot but of course there is the existing possibility of the boyos heading to the cinema, where hilarity can ensue... So one day I might add a continuation to this, if I feel like it! I also tried to write in the past tense which isn't my favourite mode of writing, but I hope you enjoyed anyhow, and thank you very much for reading!


End file.
